GETTING HOT WITH THE SCOT

A Chicago TV producer has a vacation affair which feels much more intense than it should and ends badly—and then is stunned when her dreamy Scottish lover shows up on her doorstep. Can a whirlwind foreign affair lead to something real?

Cassie Crow is determined to have a fling with a sexy European during her monthlong summer tour. Reaching Scotland, the next-to-last destination, she meets Logan Reid, a popular Scottish social media personality who embroils her in his time-travel–themed video prank campaign set in an ancient castle. Tipsy and tuned in to the atmosphere, Cassie is of course never truly convinced he’s an Outlander-esque romance hero from the past but still “turn[s] off her brain” and kisses him. It's an explosive moment he wants to leverage into an American television opportunity, but she refuses to sign a release for the footage. Logan convinces her to go out for a drink, which leads to a sizzling night of sex but no signature. When he follows her to London, the two enter into a full-fledged affair, but Cassie feels like it’s all a lie when she finds the release form in his jacket. Signing it in anger, she leaves without saying goodbye, telling herself he was using her, but when Logan shows up in Chicago weeks later, they quickly resume the affair. Cassie trusts him because the footage hasn’t surfaced and he was able to land the TV opportunity anyway. They tell themselves that things aren’t serious, yet when professional tension and emotional baggage rise up, the stakes seem high and they both feel invested. Author Johnson’s debut has a delightful cast of characters and witty dialogue along with a lighthearted feel that still navigates emotional depths. Her excellent writing keeps the plot tight and humming while supporting complex storytelling and a wide variety of emotions, tones, locations, and characters, all of which divert attention from the occasionally weak conflicts.

Fun, smart, and supersexy; a great debut from a writer to watch.